OrthoNeuro Blog

Think you may have broken your hand? You may have what is called a Boxer's Fracture.

A boxer's fracture means you have broken one of the metacarpal bones in your hand. Metacarpal bones connect the bones in your finger to the bones in your wrist. You might hear your hand doctor refer to it as a brawler's fracture. This injury commonly occurs when the hand is in a fist and strikes a hard object such as a wall or another human.

Symptoms of a fracture:

Pain and Tenderness

Popping/Snapping noise at the time of injury

Swelling/Bruising in the hand

If you sense that you have fractured your hand you should see a hand doctor as soon as possible. You should also monitor any signs of infection if your skin was scratched or cut. Symptoms for infection include redness, warmth, and swelling surrounding the cut.

Treatment:

If the fracture is displaced (the bones are out of alignment), the physician may need to reduce the fracture (put the bone back in place)

Conservative treatment usually consists of a simple splint or short arm cast for 3-6 weeks - may require longer immobilization dependent on healing

Surgery is more rare but sometimes suggested depending on the severity of the fracture